


Take Me Back Home

by BlackCherrySeltzer



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Prompt: Post-War / Marriage, YuriRarepairWeek2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28991820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCherrySeltzer/pseuds/BlackCherrySeltzer
Summary: “Ahem! Does no one care to know what I want to do after the war? I’m going to—”“Restore House Nuvelle, we know,” Yuri, Balthus, and Hapi all said in a flat chorus. Constance pouted at their retort.“But isn’t that going to take a while, Coco? What aboutrightafter the war ends, don’t you want to take a break for a moment?” Hapi questioned.*******The long and arduous war finally comes to an end and now it's time for the wolves to move on to the next chapter of their lives. Balthus and Hapi decide to see their families, but where will Yuri and Constance go?
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Constance von Nuvelle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Take Me Back Home

“Dammit Yuri, that’s the fourth time you won in a row! I’m calling it for tonight. You’re cheating somehow and I can’t figure it out.”

Balthus threw down his playing cards and crossed his arms. The war was still ravaging across Fódlan, but in between battles, the wolves often found themselves trying to make the best of a bad situation with their little social hours in the Abyssian classroom. Yuri and Balthus often played poker, Constance typically read through a book or delicately sipped a cup of tea, and Hapi lounged on the desk benches or egged Balthus on with bad hands to play against Yuri. 

“Calling the quits so soon? I was hoping to win another hundred gold bullion tonight,” Yuri teased.

“I’ll sub for you B,” Hapi chimed in, “I can read Yuri-bird better than you can.”

“You said that the other day when you played for me and I lost out on five hundred gold bullion! _My_ gold bullion,” Balthus said with a disapproving look at Hapi.

“I had a cold! My game was off, I can definitely win this time.”

“Are you two seriously contending with Yuri again? You always try despite knowing that you will fail. I don’t understand how you can be so persistent.” Constance placed her cup of tea down, coming over to join the rising bickering.

“That’s all part of the fun, Coco! B always gets so riled up when he’s playing. It’s the best entertainment Abyss has to offer!”

Yuri merely leaned back and smiled fondly as the gang in front of him squabbled over what seemed so mundane. The war had been ravaging on for over five years now with no end in sight. Day in and day out, Yuri strives to protect the innocent lives in Abyss from the brutality of war. He’s done all that he can to assist those who are less fortunate using his underground connections, but years of doing this have been wearing him down. 

He never outwardly showed it, but he was secretly overjoyed when the wolves all reunited from the silly little promise the professor made all those years ago. Despite the fact that he’s still dealing with the war and its effects on the masses, being able to kick back for a night with his former classmates makes all the difference. 

“What’s with that smile, pal? You think I like losing out on all my gold?”

“No, no I was just taking in this moment. You know…we might not have many nights left like this…” Yuri trailed off.

“Wow Yuri-bird, way to turn our fun into something morbid.”

“I didn’t mean it like we’re going to die! I was just thinking about when the war’s over… It’s not like we’re all going to stay here, right?”

“Yeah… I guess you’re right,” Balthus shrugged calming down after losing his last hand. “What are you guys gonna do once this is all over anyway? I know the first thing I’m doing is heading straight to the mountains to see my mom. It’s been far too long and, yeah, we still write to each other, but I’m still worried about her, y’know?”

“You really are a big softy under it all, aren’t you B?” Hapi teased. “Although, I wonder how my parents are doing too… My village is pretty tucked away so I’m sure the war hasn’t gotten to them, but I still hope they’re alright.”

“What about you Yuri-bird? What’s the first thing you’re going to do once all of this ends?”

“Hmm… I’d like to see my mother as well, but I think the more responsible thing I’d want to handle first is to take down the group that’s been attacking my men all these years now. They’ve been off and on again since the beginning of the war. Sure, my men can handle there one-off skirmishes, but they’re encroaching on my grounds. I need to stop it from the source.”

“Never any rest for you there, huh pal?” Balthus commented patting Yuri on the back. “Let me know if you need backup, you know you always got your bash-bro on your side!”

“Thanks, but I think this is something I must deal with by myself,” he smiled at his friend’s offer.

“Ahem! Does no one care to know what I want to do after the war? I’m going to—”

“Restore House Nuvelle, we know,” Yuri, Balthus, and Hapi all said in a flat chorus. Constance pouted at their retort.

“But isn’t that going to take a while, Coco? What about _right_ after the war ends, don’t you want to take a break for a moment?” Hapi questioned.

“I did have some thoughts about…traveling,” Constance said hesitantly. “But I need to get to work on the restoration of my house straight away, so there will be no time for pause.”

“Hmm traveling, huh? You never struck me as much of a globetrotter,” Yuri said reviving her statement. It seemed like Constance didn’t want to divulge much into it which made him all the more curiouser. “I can’t imagine you having too much of a fun time traveling to somewhere like the beach — ahem _‘I do not deserve to feel the fresh ocean air on my humble skin. I must retreat from the waters as not to disturb the fish with my meager presence.’_ ” Yuri mocked in his most sun-basked Constance impression earning a scowl from her and a resounding laugh from Hapi and Balthus. 

“Yuri! You know I am sensitive about my condition! Regardless, it matters not what frivolity I wish to partake in, because I simply won’t. I will delve straight away into my magical studies to expand the Nuvelle name all across Fódlan!”

Balthus and Hapi rolled their eyes in unison at her remark, but Yuri still remained curious.

“Well guys, should we pack it in for tonight? We still have to wake up early for tomorrow’s war planning session, yeah?” Balthus cut in.

“Yeah, and it’s way past my bedtime,” Hapi said getting up and stretching. “Goodnight you guys,” and she left for her room. Balthus followed suit while Yuri picked up his cards and Constance went back to put her tea set away. Once she had all her things gathered she turned around and was suddenly face-to-face with Yuri. She took a quick step back out of surprise.

“Has all the drab of war invigorated your wanderlust, hm?” Yuri smirked down at her.

“Won’t you drop this already,” Constance sighed. “I told you that I don’t intend to do anything other than dedicate myself to restoring my name.”

“Yes, but you also have the support from the Adrestian Minister of Foreign affairs now, don’t you?” Yuri said gently tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and rested his hand on her cheek. “You can relax a bit now. He’s going to help lay the groundwork for you to get your house back.” 

Since Yuri had admitted to aiding Constance with the connections she needed to restore her noble title, the pair had been spending quite a bit of time together. While she was hesitant at first to develop any sort of relationship with Yuri, she did have to admit to herself that she always found him very useful and the more she was around him, the more she realized that she actually did adore his charms. Things between them were comfortable amidst the chaos of war. They didn’t want the professor or the others finding out about their quiet relationship, so it mostly came out during these small moments alone together. 

She gently took his hand from her cheek and held it in her own. “Yuri, I do appreciate all that you’ve done so far with your connections. But this alone won’t heal my destroyed name. Not only that, but the war has set back all my progress on my magical innovations… I need to put myself back on the path to success as soon as possible. I can’t let down all the strings you pulled to even allow me the opportunity to get to this point,” she said uncharacteristically humbling herself.

Yuri smiled and pulled the blond in to hold her. To be honest, he never thought the Shady Lady he battled side-by-side with all these years would be the person he’d call his lover. But she’s brilliant and beautiful; he could never deny that. Sure, he had to use up a few of his coveted favors to be able to get her an in with the Adrestian nobility, but that was all worth it to be able to stand here and hold her like this.

“Besides, you have to deal with the Scorpions, it’s not like you’re taking a break either, hm?” She said into his chest while playing with some of the violet locks of hair that rested on his shoulder.

He pondered her comment for a moment. “You do have a point…Well then, why don’t we both take a break before our real lives begin after the war. Where was it you wanted to travel to anyway? If it is to the beach, we can plan to go on an overcast day. I would love to have the opportunity to see Miss Nuvelle in beach attire~” he said laughing and she gave him a playful shove, disengaging their embrace.

“You can be such a fool, Yuri.” While she was being playful, Yuri noticed a hint of sadness to her tone. She was smiling, yet her smile did not reach her eyes. He was about to press more about it when Constance interjected, “The night is only growing later and I do need my rest to think clearly for tomorrow’s war meeting. Goodnight, Yuri,” she said giving him a quick hug. 

As she pulled away to leave he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a kiss. It’s rare that they get these intimate moments together, and he wanted it to last even just for a second longer. She melted into the kiss as he held the back of her head, leaning into him. He then gently pulled away and smiled at her. Constance soaked in the beauty of the man in front of her for a few moments, softly kissed his cheek, and quietly left the room. 

***

The war had ended only a week ago and Balthus and Hapi were already leaving Abyss. Both of them wanted to see their families, so Balthus agreed to take Hapi to her village and then they’d head to the mountains afterwards to see his mom. It’d be lonely otherwise, plus it’s always good to have a buffer when going back to family after all these years. Balthus was a wave of emotions; crying on Yuri’s shoulder after taking him in for one last big hug. Hapi, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She remained cool and calm by his side during their goodbyes. However, Constance heard Hapi’s breath quietly hitch from holding back tears when she went to go hug her goodbye. She held her a bit tighter in return and let her know when her house was restored, her doors will always be open for Hapi. With the last of the hugs out of the way, Balthus and Hapi got on their horses and rode off to their next journey in life.

Constance watched them ride off until they disappeared into the darkness of nighttime. Yuri came up and held her from behind, planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “We’ll all see each other again some day,” he reassured her. “But next time it won’t be under the context of a war. I do wonder where our lives will take us in these next few years…” Yuri remarked as Constance reached up to hold his hands.

They stood there for a while until the Abyss gatekeeper came by to let them know they needed to lock the gates for the night so they returned back into Abyss and to Yuri’s now sole quarters. Yuri sighed and sat on the side of his bed; Constance sat herself at Yuri’s desk. “So, milady, are you ready to go on an adventure of our own?” he said cheerily.

Constance merely gave him a quick puzzled look and then started absentmindedly organizing the notebooks on his desk. 

“What are you on about now, Yuri?” 

“Traveling of course! You and I. Don’t think I forgot your words from all those months ago,” Yuri said hopping up from the bed to lean on the desk by her side.

“You seem to remember that, but conveniently forgot the part where I told you that I have no time for triviality. I’m already behind, I meant to write to my former professor at the School of Sorcery about my new theory, but I got caught up in all of today’s events. Perhaps I should start that now…” She was about to get up to leave, but Yuri caught her arm.

“I think your professor can wait one more day, hm? Now seems like the best time to go on a little trip! The weather this week is supposed to be overcast and it will get our minds off of how lonely Abyss is becoming,” Yuri said guiding Constance to sit on the bed with him. “And besides… It’s been a while since you’ve been home, hasn’t it?” Yuri said quietly taking her hands in his own.

Constance looked up at him in surprise and then shyly away, “…How did you know I wanted to go to Nuvelle?”

He brought her hands up to his face and gently kissed her knuckles. “You’re not as sly as you think you are, Shady Lady. You left a map out on your desk marked with a trail to the former Nuvelle territory when we were all talking about this months ago. Didn’t you notice it was missing?” He winked at her, producing the map from his breast pocket.

“Yuri, honestly! We’ve been lovers for just a few months and you’re already trying to ruin it by stealing from me?” She quickly took the map from his hands.

“I wouldn’t say _stealing_. I was merely _borrowing_ so I could plan our trip!” Yuri said proudly. “So what do you say? I have everything planned so you don’t need to worry about a thing.”

In truth, Constance could use a break. While she kept her composure on the outside, her thoughts on the inside were constantly going through everything she needed to accomplish in the next few years to reinstate House Nuvelle. She did desperately want to visit her home region again, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to take anyone along. It was going to be a lot to take in after all these years and she didn’t want to put the burden of her grief on others. Though, if anyone were to come with her, perhaps she wouldn’t mind it being Yuri. He has been proving himself to be a dependable partner as of late, despite his typical sass. Maybe this all wasn’t such a bad idea as she was making it out to be.

“You are quite persistent aren’t you? I know even if I were to deny you, you’d pester me until no end,” she said with a sigh. “I will accompany you on this excursion then. But I want you to agree now, this trip is to last no longer than one day, understood? I have much to work on here and I don’t want to fall behind even more.” Yuri beamed with a wide grin from finally winning her over on the idea. “How will your men fair without their fearless leader, though?”

“Don’t worry about them, they’ll be alright. Those damn Scorpions have been at us for five years with no prevail, and their forces are weaker now from the war. They can wait one more day before I sneak into their territory and destroy them. Besides, you know how I always like my…surprise attacks!” Yuri said playfully jumping Constance and pinning her to the bed. Constance shrieked with surprise and delight at his actions as he planted light kisses all over her. She did miss the other wolves dearly, but she has to admit that she’s already enjoying the fact that they no longer have to hide their relationship in the shadows.

Yuri let up on his barrage and pulled back leaning on his arms to get a good look at her. She was blushing slightly recovering from his ‘attack’; she truly took his breath away with her beauty in that moment. He waited to receive an earful from her for his spontaneity, but she merely stroked her delicate hand through his hair and smiled up at him to his surprise. “I really do need to stop and take a breath of fresh air, don’t I? Thank you for looking out for me, Yuri.” She smiled and caressed his arm. He then got off her and laid down next to her side on the bed. 

“But just remember no longer—”

“No longer than a day, I know, I know. We’ll leave bright and early tomorrow then.” He pulled her over to hold her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She nestled herself onto his chest and listened to the soft thrum of his heartbeat. A combination of that and Yuri gently playing with her long blond locks had her drifting off to sleep in a matter of minutes. It was a long and arduous war, but despite that, and everything that has happened to her, she was truly happy where she landed and what was to come her way.

Yuri, noticing Constance’s steady breathing, looked down to see she had fallen asleep. He was happy she conceded to go on an excursion tomorrow. He saw how tirelessly she worked throughout the war and really wanted her to have a moment to reflect before diving into her next chapter. Yuri soon felt his eyelids become heavy and he quickly fell asleep by her side too.

***

Constance slowly woke up to the smell of tea permeating the room. “…Hapi are you making tea? What a sudden shift in your palette,” she said sleepily as she woke up. Yuri only responded to her with a laugh which prompted her to sit up in bed confused until she fully woke up and realized where she was.

“Aww do you miss your old roommate already? What, don’t I make a suitable replacement?” Yuri teased as she got up and walked over to the table where he had the tea set. She scoffed at him as he poured her a cup of tea. “You’re adorable when you’re sleeping, you know? You mumbled on for a whole hour about restoring House Nuvelle last night. I feel bad that Hapi had to put up with that for all these years…” Yuri said cracking up as Constance turned bright red in embarrassment.

“Is this really how you want to start out the day, Yuri? Continue with your antics and I will incinerate you,” she threatened. 

“But if you do that you won’t be able to hear more of your insightful sleep induced stories! There was even an interesting one about me that I was delighted to hear. Something about wanting me to hold you close and put my mouth on your—”

“Yuri stop this! How dare you make up such blatant lies!” Constance yelled, face now a deep shade of red.

“If I knew you were this easy to embarrass with your sleeping habits, I would have started sleeping with you ages ago, Shady Lady,” Yuri smirked and sipped his tea. Constance huffed and drank her tea too.

“Continue on like this, and your days of sharing a bed with me will end quite soon.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll yield.” Yuri held up his hands in defense. “Anyway, we should probably head out soon. I’ve readied the horse for our trip and packed some essentials. Sunrise will be in an hour so we should probably head out before then,” he said as he looked over a notebook that contained a checklist for the day’s preparations.

"While you annoy me to no end, I do appreciate how attentive you can be with these things,” Constance praised him. Is there anything I should prepare to bring along?” she questioned. 

“Nope, just yourself, milady,” he said finishing his tea. “I need to have a quick chat with a few of my men and then we should head out. Meet me by the stables in about a half hour’s time, okay?”

Constance nodded and headed over to her room to change for the day. She put on her light blue, ankle-length dress she’s had from the start of the war, but rarely had a chance to wear. It’s a functional dress that still accents all parts of her beauty and brings out her blue-eyes. Not that she necessarily wanted to impress Yuri, but he was going through a lot of effort on her part for all of this. She put on her makeup, touched up her long curly locks, and went to the stables to meet up with Yuri.

Yuri opted to wear his black doublet with maroon-lining which had been his typical post-war look. It’s also the attire his gang all wore as a signal to others that they were of the Savage Mockingbird clan. The only difference with Yuri’s is that he kept a mockingbird pin affixed near his heart. It was hard to make out that it was a mockingbird unless you were close, and usually if you were that close to Yuri, you wouldn’t live to tell others what creature donned his pin.

“Are you all ready to head out?” Yuri asked as he heard Constance approach him. She nodded and he got up on the horse and held his hand out to help her up.

“You know, I do believe my pegasus is still on Garreg Mach grounds. We could perhaps ride him over if you’re still not too off-put from last time,” she teased giving his arm a light squeeze. The last time she was referring to was when they needed to make a quick escape from a sudden monster attack a few months ago. She grabbed him to fly off from the danger only to find out a few minutes later that Yuri’s stomach is apparently weak to flight…  
  
Yuri gagged at the thought and she laughed. “Okay, fair enough. I deserve that from all the fun I had at your expense this morning. Besides I can’t fly a pegasus, and I’m the one who’s taking you there today. The horse will suffice.”

And before the sun even rose, the pair road off on the dirt road to the west. The sun started to rise a little over an hour into their trip, but the clouds remained thick, blocking out its rays to Constance’s delight. 

“How are you holding up back there?” Yuri asked his blond partner who was holding onto his waist behind him. “I am quite well given the weather, I do hope it stays this way.” As they continued down the path, Constance noted that Yuri took a trail slightly north which strayed from the direct route west she had on her map. “Yuri, do you know where you are going? I don’t believe this is the most efficient path to Nuvelle,” Constance commented.

“It isn’t. I have a short stop planned for us before we get to Nuvelle territory. And before you argue, I promise it won’t eat into too much time of our day. Just trust me, alright?”

“Fine,” Constance pouted. “You should be thankful I trust you enough to take me here in the first place, Yuri. Anyone else would think you would be taking them on an excursion to meet their end at the bottom of some forgotten ravine.”

“Constance, you know that I value you too much to keep your death a secret from you. I’d come right out and tell you if I was to be your demise of course!” he laughed back at her.

“The way you tease me you very well might cause my death of embarrassment…” She remarked which only added to his joy.

As they rode, Constance began to reminisce when they first met. After losing her house, she went straight to the School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad by herself. It was a lonely school experience, but she wasn’t there to make friends, just to work as hard as possible to reclaim her title. As her graduation was soon approaching though, she realized that without her royal connections, there would be no way for her to continue her studies elsewhere. At the time, she felt very lucky to happen upon Aelfric when he was visiting the school and discovered his connections to the Officers Academy. She was ecstatic when he agree to take her as his second student in the school’s newly established house. Of course she wasn’t surprised that she’d be asked to help be one of the foundational people for this new house given her royal experience.

What did surprise her was when she found out she wouldn’t be the leader, rather the leader was an already selected student who had been expelled from the Blue Lion house. She remembered feeling so angry over how an _expelled_ student was their leader and not her. They met for the first time in the Ashen Wolves classroom when she had to pick up her uniform from him. 

_“What’s a pretty little flower like you doing down in these scary dungeons, hm? Are you lost, little girl?”_ Constance remembered that was the first thing he remarked to her, his voice laced with mockery.

_“How dare you speak to me this way? And I am to call you my leader? I will have you know, I am Constance von Nuvelle, heiress to House Nuvelle, magical prodigy, and your new classmate. Now that you know who I am, I expect nothing from respect from you from this moment forward.”_

_“Nuvelle, hm? Never heard of them. I myself am Yuri Leclerc, formally the adopted son of Count Rowe. So, you’re from royalty, right? Then shouldn’t you know to treat your leaders with deference? Seems like I should be the one asking respect from you. Go on, bow and apologize to your leader.”_ She remembered how smug he looked with that sentiment.

_“How dare you mock me! You will rue those words, trust me. The day my house is reinstated, I will make it a priority that all that you are will be in ruins!”_

_“Well you are quite a lively one for a noble. You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you? This is certainly more entertainment I got than when I was in the Blue Lion house with all those other stuffy nobles. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun here.”_

Constance smiled to herself thinking back to their first interaction and leaned her head on Yuri’s back as they rode ahead. To think the man she denounced all those years ago was now the same man helping her reclaim her title.

“Hm, are you feeling alright? I don’t see the sun coming out?” Yuri responded, feeling her head suddenly rest on him.

“No, just thinking about what fools we were all those years ago…” Constance said fondly. Yuri smiled and wrapped a free hand around hers. His mind was also wandering, he thought about how he wished they didn’t meet under their rough circumstances in Abyss, or reunited amidst a war. But then, if they weren’t thrown into such situations, would he have ever been able to meet the Constance he knows now? To know the hard working, genuine side of her under her pompous noble facade? Maybe she was thinking the same thing.

“Hmm, _we’re_ fools, huh? Is the great Miss Nuvelle humbling herself? Or were you perhaps recalling the time Hapi convinced you that Balthus was married and had children when you first met him. His reaction was priceless when you asked about his son! I think you managed to convince the poor guy that he actually had a bastard out there.” Yuri ended with a fit of laughter.

“That was such a cruel prank! If I was not deceived, it would have been polite enough for me to inquiry about another noble’s child!”

“You do have a way of making great first impressions, don’t you. Oh look we’re almost here!” Yuri cut short his laughter and pointed over to the hills.

“Is that the Brionac Plateau? It looks quite lovely now that it’s no longer a battlefield, this is a nice place for pause,” Constance commented as they approached a clearing atop the plateau.

“Isn’t it? Nuvelle is a long trip from Abyss so I thought it would be nice to have a little break before heading over,” Yuri said pulling on the reins of his horse to stop it. He got off and helped Constance down. As he tied his mare to a nearby tree and got his supplies, Constance walked over to take in the view. Not just a few months ago, they were battling on this field but now it has returned to its original state as a lush green expanse of nature. Where she stood looking south, she could see the mountains of Fódlan’s Fangs in the distance. To the east she had a clear view of the steeples of the Western Church. She was about to walk over and look out to the west when she saw that Yuri had set up a small blanket and picnic under a tree while she was observing the landscape.

“Pretty spectacular view from here, huh? I personally think it makes for a better retreat rather than a battlefield,” Yuri said handing her a glass of wine as she sat down to join him.

“I actually recall many people in our territory coming up here for weekend excursions,” Constance reminisced fondly. “Before all the strife of war, that is what this place truly was. I hope as time heals the land further, it will again become a place for families to gather and enjoy their free time in the future…” Constance took a sip of her wine looking out to the expanse.

Both of them sat their in a peaceful silence just enjoying the nature around them and the meal Yuri had prepared. When they were done they sat there for a while, Constance leaning against Yuri under the tree. Due to her condition, it was rare that she could go outside and breathe in the fresh air like this without spiraling into her depressed state. But today’s weather was perfect; no sun, yet no rain. Just a perfectly overcast day.

She looked over to Yuri who was deep in thought as he looked out over to the west. He noticed her looking up at him and smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“I was wondering, where do you see your life going in the next five years? I know you want to rebuild your house, of course, but…do you think you’ll be the same Constance you are now?”

“This seems suddenly introspective of you, Yuri. Well, if you must know, of course I wouldn’t be,” Constance said with pride which surprised Yuri.

“Why the surprised look? Being a head of a house will definitely shape me differently than all these years of war have. If there is one hope I have, it is that I become a great leader for all the people in my territory. I know I have what it takes to achieve that, but I also must grow and change to get there. Does that thought upset you Yuri? That the Constance of the future will probably not be like the Constance you are sitting with right now?”

Yuri simply smiled and held her, “Not at all, my dear. I’m happy to hear you say that actually. You’ll be a great ruler, purely because I know you had a great house leader who’s qualities surely rubbed off on you.” She swatted at him and he held her tighter. “Well, we should get going, we have about an hour ride until we get to our final destination.” Yuri got up and packed up the blanket and picnic supplies. Constance helped him secure everything to the horse and hopped back on behind Yuri. With everything in place once again, the two were off to western Fódlan.

***

Nearing their destination, Constance started to feel apprehension welling in her chest. She could still clearly remember turning around seeing her home ablaze. As the young Constance stood there in shock, unsure what to do, a knight scooped her up and rode away from the massacre. She clutched that knight hard, trembling in a mix of fear and anger knowing she couldn’t do anything to save her family. As she came back to reality, she realized she was doing the same thing to Yuri right now, gripping tightly onto him as they rode forward. She took a deep breath to calm herself and loosened her grip on Yuri so he wouldn’t be concerned about her.

A thick mist covered their surroundings making visibility low, but she could already feel the familiar sea’s air making her stiffen behind Yuri. She was here. Home. She should be happy though, right? To be revisiting her home lands she will soon take over once again? Instead a wave of rage and grief took over her, rising up from her past.

“Yuri, stop the horse,” Constance said with a deadly serious tone.

“Hm? Everything alright?” Yuri said stopping his mare. Without warning Constance hopped down and began walking forward.

“You stay here, I will walk the rest of the way,” her tone still flat.

“Hey, where’s this coming from?” Yuri said jumping off to chase her. She started to run, but Yuri caught her arm. She turned to push him away, but he caught her other arm too.

“Constance! What is with you?! I take you all the way here and—” he stopped himself short noticing that she was trembling underneath him.

“Just leave me alone and let me walk the rest of the way by myself!” She suddenly yelled, taking Yuri aback. “I didn’t even want to come but of course you managed to use your charms to convince me. I should have just stay back and continued my studies like I intended!” She fumed as hot tears started welling in her eyes.

“Hey it’s alright, we can turn around if you want,” Yuri said trying to calm her.

“No. If I’m here now, I’m going to face it. But I’m doing this alone.” She shook him off and began her march forward again.

Yuri ran in front of her to block her path, “I can’t let you do that. You don’t know what dangers lie in that town now after years of abandonment. And I don’t think it’s in your best interest to handle the grief you must be feeling on your own…” Yuri tried to reason with her.

“How do you know what’s in my best interest?!” Constance argued back at him. “You don’t understand what it means to be back here. To be on these grounds where my entire family perished! I need to do this on my own. I need to show them that I’m taking back all that has been lost!!” she yelled at him.

The sudden outburst startled Yuri’s horse and he quickly turn around to calm the mare. As he turned back to stop Constance once more, she had already run off; her path hidden by the mist.

“Dammit! This wasn’t supposed to go this way…” he cursed to himself. “Constance!” he yelled with no response back. Yuri quickly got back up on to his horse and continued riding down the path hoping to find her along the trail.

Despite the mist and all these years, Constance still knew the lay of the land. The lay of _her_ land. After running for a bit she finally made it to the castle town. Dilapidated buildings lined the roads and the streets were still in ruins from the war. As she walked down the main street her mind flashed back to walking down these roads alongside her mother and brother. She closed her eyes. She could remember a particularly sunny summer day they went out to get pastries from a bakery downtown. Constance could almost smell the warm sweet buns from that place if she thought hard enough. She opened her eyes and looked to her left.

“I think it was there…or maybe it was another road down…” she mumbled to herself. All the buildings were in ruins and looted by thieves. It’s not like she’d be able to recognize the storefront of that bakery anymore.

She shook her head and continued forward to the gates of the castle looming over the town. The gates were already opened, locks still destroyed from the soldiers who broke it down all those years ago. She stood there staring up at the place she once called home. With a deep breath she pushed back tears that were forming in her eyes and continued forward into the castle.

Yuri finally made it to the castle town after trial and error. He slowed down his horse and hopped off tying it down to the remains of a stable. “Constance!” he yelled out to no avail. He sighed and took in his surroundings of the former town. Constance had told him about the Brigid and Dagda war destroying her home before, but until he saw it with his own eyes in that moment, he never really considered how brutally her home was taken from her. He walked around a bit searching for her in some of the broken down homes. As he turned down a corner, careful not to trip on the ripped up road, he came across rows of buildings that looked like they were all wiped out from a single bolt of a Thoron spell. “Damn… Whoever lived there didn’t deserve an end like that,” he muttered solemnly to himself. He sighed and said a quick prayer to the goddess and moved down the road.

Looking at all this destruction, he started to feel incredibly grateful that Constance had survived. He didn’t have an easy childhood that’s for sure, but he also never experienced his entire home get decimated like this. Considering that, he’s amazed that the only damage Constance was left with was her condition when she stood in direct sunlight. She really did amaze him, being able to continue to push herself to study and move on right after losing everything. She really doesn’t live in the past, but he also wonders if she ever took the proper time to grieve over her loss.

Yuri looked up to see a massive castle peeking out of the mist. He walked up to it noting the damage to the exterior from relentless spells and attacks. There was a broken down gate around the other side that he made his way past and into the castle. Walking into the main hall, he was greeted with the ruins of what was once a grand entryway. Dirt and parts of the walls littered the ground, the bannister on the stairs was broken in half, and the corridor which must have led to a dining hall was completely burnt up. Yuri carefully walked up the staircase and down the upstairs hall. There was a portrait at the end of the hall that survived all the attacks with just a few edges burnt up from fire spells. It displayed a royal family of four posed perfectly with a younger Constance standing in the middle. Even as a child, she had the look of confidence in her eyes that she still carries today. It was almost as though the Constance in that picture mocked the soldiers who raided her home. As though she was saying, _“You might have taken my home for now, but rest assured I will rebuild it tenfold!”_ Making him smile along with the proud Constance in the portrait.

As Yuri looked at the portrait, he faintly heard stifled sniffles down the hallway. He quietly crept down to one of the rooms to find Constance laying on a broken down bed staring at the ceiling, face flushed from crying. He walked over to the bed, careful not to disturb any of the debris and lied down next to her. She didn’t protest, but she also didn’t acknowledge his presence. 

“Was this your room?” Yuri finally spoke up.

“…No. This was my brother’s room. My room was burnt beyond repair,” Constance said quietly and closed her eyes. She remembered countless times coming in to this room to show her brother any new spell she mastered when they were younger. Despite her family history of magical aptitude, sorcery was his weak area. Constance always dazzled him with her spells and she remembered how great it felt to have that admiration from him.

Fresh tears started to burn in her eyes as she thought about her family. She took a deep, shaky breath to calm herself. She knew that all of this was in the past, that she shouldn’t get hung up on it. But being here, in this once beautiful castle she called home, it was hard for her to stop thinking about all that she lost. She suddenly felt an arm wrap around her as Yuri pulled her in close.

“I… Maybe it was a bit too brash to take you here,” Yuri admitted. “But you’ve always jumped from one thing to the next. I know it’s hard revisiting these paths, but sometimes it’s necessary to grow.” She went to turn away but he put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. “Constance, I know you’re not the type to lean on others, and I shouldn’t have forced that on you. But I didn’t want you to think you had to handle this grief on your own. You don’t need to hide this side of you from me. Take as much time as you need, but also know, I’ll always be here for you to lean on.” He ended laying a soft kiss on Constance’s forehead.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. How is it that Yuri is always somehow able to say the right thing to her in moments like this? She hated showing her emotions to anyone, but in that moment, it felt different with Yuri. Even just a few years ago, she would never have imagined being so vulnerable around the Savage Mockingbird, hearing of his notorious deeds. She was aware how much their relationship was physically bringing them closer, but now it started to dawn on her how much more open they’ve been about their thoughts and feelings as they grew together.

Yuri could feel her tears as she muffled her hitched breathing into his neck. He held her close and rubbed her back to soothe her. To think, the once arrogant woman who he thought nothing more to be a spoiled brat walking into the classroom of Abyss all those years ago would be the same one he held in his arms right now. Yuri always saw people as means to his ends, but being with Constance had opened him up to understanding more of the depth people had behind their words and actions.

He finally felt her trembling stop and her breathing even out but he continued to hold onto her, gently stroking her long locks. He hummed a melody that his mother used to sing to him as a child to calm him down. After a few moments he looked over at her to see that she worn herself out from the emotions of the day and fell asleep on him. Yuri looked out the window to see that night had fallen upon them too. _“Looks like we’ll be here for another day… Sorry, Constance,”_ he thought as he also started to drift off, _“I hope you found what you came for…”_ Moments later he was asleep at her side.

***

The pair awoke simultaneously as the morning birds chirped cheerfully outside. Yuri smiled down at her, “Did you sleep well?” He stretched in bed, his back felt stiff from lying on the broken down mattress all night.

“I dreamt that my brother was singing to me…” she said distantly, still trying to wake up.

“Did he sing a lot?” Yuri questioned.

“Sometimes. Usually only to me when I was in a foul mood…” 

Yuri just continued to smile and kissed her cheek. Constance smiled back, but that look quickly turned into panic as she darted up from the bed.

“Wait, hold on. Yuri, is it a new day?! I slept all night here and you did not wake me?!” She began to realize as she looked out the window.

“Didn’t you tell me once when we first slept together not to wake you ‘for the sake of maintaining your beauty and mind’?” he mocked her high-pitched voice. “I was just merely following your orders, milady.”

“That was a different time and place! Ugh, now I’m _two_ days behind everything…” She slumped back into bed. Yuri was happy that she was back to the normal Constance he always knew. Well, as “normal” as Constance gets.

“Come on then, I’ll take you back home now,” Yuri said getting out of the bed.

“Yuri, wait.”

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t just want to come here to sulk… Do you mind coming with me for a moment?”

She got up and started heading out towards the back exit and Yuri followed suit. She led him up a hill that overlooked the sea. Foggy clouds covered the sky, but it was still an impressive view of the ocean. He imagined that on a clearer day that he might be able to see Dagda in the distance. Constance clutched his hand to get his attention and lead him to an alcove just below the hill that had a hidden memorial underneath.

“I know this isn’t much, but I had asked one of the knights to build this after the war,” she said solemnly. “I wanted to come here to pray and let my family know I’m finally going to rebuild our house after all these years… I was hoping you would join me too?” she asked a little shyly. He nodded and they both stood there praying silently to the goddess as the sound of ocean waves crashed behind them.

After saying her prayers, Constance slowly unclasped her hands and looked down over the memorial. She felt Yuri put his arm around her waist and hold her close. “The goddess truly can be a fickle being sometimes, can’t she? Granting life to all and then abruptly taking it away for so many, leaving the ones living with the burden of their deaths…” He moved to face her, grasping her hands in his. “Constance, you’ve worked so hard to survive and get where you are today. I know your family would be proud to see that you’ve come back here ready to regrow what they had sown.” He gave her one of his ever elusive genuine smiles that Constance believes he only shows to her. Overcome by his words, she closed the space between them and kissed that smile on his face. 

She pulled away and they both looked out at the sea. Constance stepped out closer to the edge and turned to Yuri with a new invigorated energy. “Then let us rebuild House Nuvelle!!” she yelled loud enough to echo across the lands.

***

Over the next five years, the people of Fódlan were amazed how quickly the nations had reunited after the war. Most notably, people constantly chatted about a young talented sorceress that rebuilt ruined lands on the western coast in only a few years. It was the new hot spot to live as trade flourished and food was plentiful in the area. 

It was not unexpected when the sorceress took lead as head of this revamped territory. She was a thoughtful ruler who was adored by all her people. Just after a year of her leadership, she announced her marriage to a man many knew from his work assisting the orphanages in the area. Their wedding was a sight to behold as the whole town attended the lavish event. While there were some nobles who opposed their marriage, the love story between Constance and Yuri was ultimately revered by the town and told from generation to generation.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Yuri Rarepair Week's day 4 prompt Post-War / Marriage! I originally had a shorter fic planned, but I really got into this prompt 😅 
> 
> Hope you enjoy some more YuriCoco content from me! If you want to follow me to see more of my works (lots of FE3H stuff at the moment, but I also like Hades and MP100), my Twitter handle is @blackcherryselz


End file.
